Desert Rose
by Soraku
Summary: Quatre seems to have found true love... but is it too good to last? QWxOC, set in the series when Duo and Quatre are in the desert. Rated for the ending, mainly, (at least people who have read it think it should be). Plz R&R!! ^.^


Desert Rose **Prologue:   
** Okay, so some people have their own theories about why our Quatre-chan doesn't have a gf, or at least a girl to be paired with (because Dorothy doesn't count ^.-). There are many theories out there, but ever thought of this one? Maybe he had someone, something happened, and he just isn't ready for another love just yet... *Mysterious, ne? ^.^* This is gonna take place mid-49-series, Episode 11 to be precise, when Quatre and the Maganacs return to the desert with Duo and all the partying's going on to celebrate their safe return. The basic plot's still the same, but I'm not gonna watch the episode again so I can get all the lines right, etc, so just bear with me. ^.^ I am altering the end of the episode a little, but it's essentially the same, just with a little twist thrown in.  
**Rating:  
** Nothing big (not like you, Vixen ^.-), just a little kissing. ^.^ I'll say PG for romance and (none too descriptive) MS battling.  
**Disclaimer:  
** I don't own Gundam Wing or any of the characters, mecha, etc. They belong to Yoshiyuki Tomino, Sotsu, Sunrise, etc. and their affiliates. I made up the girl in this fic, so she belongs to me. ^.^ And oh, btw, this fic was inspired by two songs: Desert Rose (by Sting) for the title, and Carry on Dancing (by Savage Garden) for the basic idea. Arigato, and enjoy!   
Comments, critiques, questions? Mail:  
wild_wing_sora@bishoujosenshi.com - let me know! ^.^

*************

Desert Rose

*************

"Some things are so unfair," he thought to himself. He gazed into the sky at the slowly setting sun and thought of her once again.

_In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing..._

*************

"Found him," Quatre said into the communicator. "His Gundam's with him; we can invite him to join us now."  
"Whatever you say, Master Quatre," Rasid replied. "As long as you're sure he's trustworthy."  
"Positive, Rasid. He saved me in the fight before. Now, he has nowhere to go. It's best that we invite him to come with us." He left his Gundam to signal Duo. Once the braided boy had accepted his offer, they were ready to go. Trekking through the desert, Quatre's mind wandered to their fighting and he wondered if true peace would ever be attained. Would they ever be able to get back to their normal lives and live like everybody else? Could they start acting like regular 15 year old boys? Or would they always be forced to fight like this?  
"Crap, I can't see anything in this sandstorm!" Duo complained. "What could be in a place like this?"  
"Spread out and search the area for enemies," Rasid commanded his troops. "I'm not picking up anything on radar, but just to be safe."  
"All clear here," Abdul reported.  
"Same with me," said Auda.  
"Nothing over where I am," Ahmad added.  
"Seems that we're all clear, Rasid," Quatre said.  
"Right, Master Quatre. Let's go!" Rasid said.  
"Um... so where is there to go to again?" Duo asked in confusion.   
"There's a base here belonging to the Middle Eastern countries not associated with the Earth Sphere Alliance or OZ," explained Quatre. "Why don't we take refuge there?" As he spoke, Rasid opened a door. Duo couldn't believe it. Under the sand?!  
"An underground base..." Duo muttered to himself.  
"Let's go," Quatre said, leading the way in. Once inside, he exited Sandrock and went to say hello to the Commander.   
"Good of you to come, Quatre!" the Commander said.  
"It's been awhile, Commander Sadaul," Quatre said, smiling and greeting the pleasant, grinning man. "I sure do owe a lot to the Maganac Core. I don't know how I can thank you enough for allowing them to help me."  
"It was their own personal decision to make!" the cheerful Commander answered. "OZ is becoming much too troublesome... Using the colonies as targets..."   
"We're to blame for not stopping them," Quatre said.  
"Yea, we're totally to blame," Duo said, exiting Deathscythe. Quatre noticed Duo jumping out of his suit and remembered their previous battle.  
"Rasid..." he began.  
"I know, Master Quatre. I'll take care of the Mobile Suits. And," Rasid added before Quatre could interrupt, "I'll be careful with the Gundams, especially."  
"Thank you, Rasid," Quatre said, sighing gratefully. He turned to Duo. "Is that all right with you?"  
"Well that's just fine by me," Duo replied. Realizing something, Quatre walked over to the other boy.  
"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Quatre Raberba Winner."  
"Winner?! You mean that you're the heir to the Winner family that's such a powerful and financial influence in the Middle East? No wonder everyone around here looks up to you." Quatre dropped his head slightly.  
"I was... My family has always been pacifists. I disinherited myself by leaving home to fight."   
"Yea, it takes all kinds, I guess..." Sensing that he should drop the subject, Duo introduced himself.  
"I'm Duo. Duo Maxwell. I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie. That's me in a nutshell!" he said cheerfully. Quatre smiled.  
"Anyway, let's get up to the town," the blonde boy said. Turning to follow the loyal Maganacs, Quatre and Duo set off for the town in the desert. Trekking up the stairs in silence, Quatre began to think of what would happen next. What happened to Trowa and Heero? Or Wufei? They reached the top of the staircase, and his thoughts turned to his where and when. "Wow," he commented when they reached the town.  
"They're celebrating the safe return of us 40 Maganacs," Rasid explained to the young pilots as they gazed around. Dancing girls, confetti, music, laughing, talking, shouting.  
"It's just like it should be," Quatre thought. "Without a care in the world. They look as if they don't even know that there's a war going on. This is how it should be." Two girls came over to Ahmad and Abdul and took them to go dancing. Quatre had to smile.  
"Tonight there's a special ceremony," Rasid said. "Special preformances and everything. It's a special day for our people, and our safe return adds to the celebrating. You'll both be there, of course, Duo, you are our guest, enjoy yourself. And Master Quatre, you'll be there as a member of high society, of course." Quatre sighed. Always high society... he couldn't ever just be normal, it seemed. Rasid told them that he would come to get them when the time came to prepare for the ceremony; until then they were free to do as they wished, within reason. Duo suggested they talk, and Quatre led him to a room where they could not be overheard.  
"There's 5, right," Duo said. It wasn't a question, more of a statement.  
"That's right. Just the five of us that met at New Edwards."  
"I came here from the colonies," Duo continued.  
"I did as well." Quatre sat down. "The 5 of us are just the same, don't you think? Our Mobile Suits and our missions, not to mention our objective to destroy OZ..." he mused. "OZ destroyed peace in the colonies. This mission is revenge. I've been fighting under those orders."  
"Same with me! That's when I was given the Mobile Suit I use."  
"Same here! Don't worry about the colonies..." Duo began. Quatre joined him, and they spoke together. "...destroy them first. That's your responsibility."  
"Just the same," Duo said softly.  
"Yea, word for word," Quatre echoed.  
"I've always fought believing I'd be better off dead, rather than live under OZ's rule," Duo stated sadly.  
"Me too. But, to destroy yourself..." Quatre said, remembering the other pilot's feat.  
"Heero ended up doing it," Duo said. "He took his life."  
"The colonies have no intention of fighting. The colonies can't be sacrificed," Quatre replied. "Your friend was the perfect role model."  
"I never would've imagined that Heero had such a stubborn streak in him," Duo said, almost rebuking Heero with his tone.  
"It was the clear the colonies would be targeted, once the Gundams got going..." Quatre said. Then both were silent, thinking of the past and the future.

*************

~Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap.~ Another preformance had come and gone. Quatre looked over at Duo, who seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly. Pretty girls swarming over him seemed to make him forget everything else. Did girls swarm over "Master Quatre", though? No, he was too high of a class. Duo, being a guest, was someone they weren't supposed to treat as if he was a prince. But Quatre, he always got just the best, nothing more, nothing less. He sighed and turned his attention back to the raised platform they were sitting around.  
"This is another ritual dance," Rasid, who was sitting in-between the boys, explained. "These girls have practiced for months to prepare for this, it has to be perfect." As he was speaking quietly, two lines of beautiful girls who seemed to be Quatre and Duo's age stepped up to the platform and stood in place until the music began. One by one, they stepped onto the platform, their bodies moving in time with the slow beat of the ritualistic music.   
"This dance is believed to be a prayer," Rasid whispered, "to bring good fortune and luck to all those who witness it. It's especially important now that we're fighting most of the time, we can use the extra luck." Quatre nodded. He had heard about this dance before, just never seen it. Duo seemed entranced by the girl in front of him, with short, dark hair and tanned skin, and she seemed to be more interested in Duo than the dance. Quatre sighed again and looked over the other girls. All seemed to be concentrating hard on their dancing, making sure not to mess up. All except one, that is. Quatre watched, captivated, as the girl's body moved as if she wasn't even thinking about what she was doing. Her eyes were closed, as the other dancers' were, but she seemed to let the music move her where it willed her to go. She appeared to float from one place to another, like she was travelling on air. When a breeze would come in off the desert, her deep cinnamon-color hair would float around her delicate face, framing her perfect features, then return to its original state as the breeze subsided, cascading halfway down her back. Shadows from the fire, the only light source in town on the moonlit night, played on her face and hair as the music slowly came to a stop. Quatre saw the other girls grinning and silently congratulating themselves on not falling or tripping, but in the girl's eyes he saw a genuine happiness, not for not screwing up, but a happiness for what she had just done. A true love for music and for dancing. The applause began and eventually subsided, and Commander Sadaul stood, holding a single white rose. "After this ritual dance," he began, "it is customary for a rose to be given to the best dancer." The Commander turned to Duo and Quatre. "Duo, Quatre, seeing as you are the heroes here, I would like one of you to choose one girl you deem worthy and present this rose to her."   
"Hey! No prob, I'll do i-" Duo began, taking the rose, then looked around him. He saw seven gorgeous girls, all smiling irresistibly at him. He grinned sheepishly. "Um, what I meant was... I can't possibly decide who danced the best, I think Quatre should do it." As quickly as he had stood, Duo sat back down, and the rose was handed to Quatre. Sighing, Quatre looked over the girls again. He too now received irresistible stares and adorable smiles, but then his gaze fell upon the dancer he had been watching. Her eyes shone as she looked, not at him, but at the rose. Quatre couldn't help but smile as he realized how much she wanted to be recognized as the best dancer. She stood silently, fingers interlaced in front of her, eyes transfixed on the beautiful white flower that was to be presented. As he extended his arm forward and held the rose out, Quatre enjoyed the look of mixed surprise and delight on her face. She looked up and her sapphire eyes met his.   
"Me?" she asked, her gentle voice hushed. Quatre smiled.  
"I believe that you are the best dancer here," he said, bowing slightly. Somewhat in shock, she took the rose from him, her hand brushing his as she did so. Her mouth smiling and her eyes glistening, she caught his gaze again.   
"Thank... thank you," she said genuinely.  
"All right, ceremonies are over, everyone turn in to get some sleep!" Commander Sadaul said loudly. As the crowd began to disperse, Quatre looked for Duo. Laughing loudly, the braided boy was leading a large group of girls into a building. Sighing once more, Quatre turned to go get some sleep himself. Noticing the girl walking away, one hand holding the rose close to her chest, he walked briskly up behind her and caught her hand. Startled, she turned around quickly.  
"I'm sorry, but I would very much like to know the name of the girl who is the best dancer," Quatre said, releasing her hand. She smiled and held the rose with both hands now.  
"Cecilia," she said. "My name is Cecilia."  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cecilia," Quatre said. "I'm-"  
"Oh, you're Quatre Winner!" Cecilia said before he could introduce himself. "I know that. I'd very much like to thank you for your gift of the rose, I know you could have picked any one of the other girls; they all dance beautifully."  
"Not so beautifully as you," Quatre said before he could stop himself. Cecilia flushed, turning her pale skin a deep crimson.  
"I thank you," she said once again. "Music and dancing have been my life, I love them more than anything. This is a great honor. Good night." She turned to leave.  
"Um, Cecilia!" Quatre said, quickly trying to fabricate an excuse to talk with her more. The girl turned, her hair swinging to the side as she did so. "Uh... I mean..." She smiled.  
"I'd love to stay and talk, but you are much higher than I am, I really shouldn't," she said. "I believe that Mr. Kurama would be concerned if he found you talking to one of the 'dancing girls', Desert Prince." With a final sweet smile, she turned and walked into the shadows.  
"Fair night, then, Desert Rose!" he called after her. As Quatre stared at her retreating form, Rasid found him.  
"There you are, Master Quatre! You should get into bed, you Gundam pilots need your sleep."  
"Yea, like Duo's really going to sleep tonight..." Quatre muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, "I was thinking I'd take a walk tonight, if that's all right with you." Rasid looked surprised.  
"Well, that's fine, we'll just go and-"  
"I'll be fine by myself, Rasid. It's safe here, remember?" Quatre said with an innocent smile.  
"Well, I suppose..." Rasid said doubtfully. "Don't be too long, though. You should get some sleep." Quatre watched as his protector turned and headed home and to sleep. Once he figured it was safe, he took off in the direction Cecilia had gone. Weaving through alleys and dark streets, he saw a slim figure walking slowly toward a dimly lit alley. Hurrying down the street, he tried to keep out of sight and stay silent. If he couldn't talk to her, he would at least like to know where she lived. A few times she turned, suspicious, and he had to duck behind something or into the shadows, but she didn't seem to notice him. She headed past the alley and out, through more streets, for so long Quatre wondered if she had noticed him there and was leading him on a wild goose-chase. When they had reached the end of the town, where it met the desert, she stopped and looked up at the stars in the moonlit, velvet sky. She began to hum, a quiet, sweet, mysterious melody. He moved closer to hear it better. "Mother," she said, gazing up at the stars. "Father. I ask you favors. Keep our Maganacs safe in all they do. Save them from harm and deliver them safely back to us. Protect the Gundam pilots. Let them bring peace back to our world, our universe. Protect him..." she paused. The night seemed to stand so still, Quatre held his breath until she began to speak again. "Protect my Desert Prince."  
"Her... prince..." Quatre said softly, somewhat confused.  
"Do not let harm come to his gentle soul," Cecilia continued her prayer, and Quatre approached her from behind. "Keep him from harm. Protect my Desert Prince," she repeated again, closing her eyes and bowing her head.  
"Your prince?" said a quiet voice from behind her. Spinning, she saw Quatre, looking into her eyes, asking for an answer.  
"My... oh, um..." she said, groping for words. He approached until she could feel his warm breath on her face, comfort in the still, cool night air.  
"Desert Rose..." he murmured, bringing his face closer to hers and closing his eyes. Loving every minute of this new feeling, he gentle tilted her head up with his hand and gently kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she intertwined hers around his neck, her right hand still grasping the delicate rose. He pulled back for a moment, and saw discomfort in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.  
"If Mr. Kurama finds out..." she said worriedly, but he hushed her.  
"No one needs to know, not just yet," he comforted her. "This isn't about them..." he added sincerely, bringing his face down to kiss her again. Every moment with her seemed to bring a new feeling, each inducing something inside of him that seemed to long for her since he first saw her to protect her and love her. Bringing more passion into the kiss, he savored the feeling as her tongue explored the inside of his mouth. The shining stars sparkled in the deep blue sky and a breeze cut the still desert air, but a war still raged on.

*************

The next day passed slowly. Without knowing what was going on, the young Gundam pilots finally had time to pass like normal boys. Duo was having the time of his life, as he told Quatre that morning.   
"The chicks here really know how to throw a homecoming party! This is great!" Quatre had sighed and watched Duo go out the door, accompanied by four young women. He smiled to himself, though, as he thought of Cecilia. Cecilia... the saint of music. A perfect namesake for his Desert Rose.  
"What? You've known her for a day and already you're into possession? Get a grip, Quatre," he said and scolding himself mentally. But he still smiled and went to ask a favor of Commander Sadaul.

**

That night, Cecilia went home after a full day. Music lessons, dancing practice again. Shopping for food for her household was always a chore, but she didn't mind it so much anymore, except for the fact that it was exhausting. Stepping up to her doorstep, she noticed a thin package laying in front of the door. Stooping down, she picked it up and went inside, careful not to disturb any of her family as she did so. Setting the food down, she took the curious package to an empty room and unwrapped it. Taking in a sharp breath in delight, she removed a single white rose from the package, sending a small piece of paper fluttering to the floor. Picking it up, she read it.  
_To my Desert Rose  
With the music in your head  
and wings of angels on your feet  
you danced in the full moon's light.  
Straight to heaven I was led  
I implore you to meet me,   
may I profess my love tonight.  
_ Eyes shining with unshed tears of happiness, she placed the rose with the other and hurried out the door. Running through alleys and darkened streets, she realized she hadn't taken heed of how late it really was. No matter, she had a warmth inside that would hold her until the end of time. Rounding a corner, she saw him, smiling and waiting. Running to him, she was swept up in the strong arms of her Prince.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What do you mean they found us?!" Rasid asked forcefully.  
"Soldiers, sir. They're here, they want food, water, and shelter," Abdul said. Commander Sadaul looked serious.  
"What will you do, sir?" Auda asked the Commander.  
"I have no choice but to let them stay," Sadaul said. "Though I am very much against the idea myself. Let us just see what happens, pray they will leave without making trouble."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Huh?! You mean while I was out frolicking with girls, soldiers of OZ were let into this place?!" Duo exploded. Quatre tried to calm him down and explained quickly but quietly.  
"Commander Sadaul had to let them in; if he didn't, they'd suspect us and blow up the whole town," he reasoned. "They must have a reason to believe the Gundams are here, or else they'd never bother infiltrating this town. It's our fault once again..." he continued dejectedly.   
"Hey now, calm down, buddy. Let's just wait it out, we've been in deeper than this before," Duo said amply.

*************

"They've planted boxes all over town," Rasid explained to the two boys, who were to stay out of sight. "And now they're gone. We have to check them, most likely they're bombs." Abdul, Auda, Ahmad, Rasid, Quatre, and Duo went to check the mysterious boxes the next day.  
"Bombs all right," Abdul confirmed. "Set to go off at midnight."  
"So they're hoping for a night fight," Rasid deducted. "Can we move them?"  
"No, they're also set to go off if moved," Abdul reported.  
"Then all we do is wait until midnight and fight them off," Rasid said. "Prepare to evacuate the town."

**

"Members of the Maganac Core!" Rasid said loudly. "We are now prepared for tonight's battle. The most important thing in this battle is to make sure than no civilians are harmed, and to allow the Gundams passage out of here safely! Have no fear, as long as we protect them, we are safe!" Quatre looked down at all the cheering, brave men, then over at Duo, and wondered if the braided boy felt as bad as he did.

**

KABOOOM!!! Midnight had arrived. Quatre sighed. At least everyone had been evacuated... He watched as the town that had been so full of celebration and happiness only a few days before went up in smoke and sparks. After speaking with Duo, it had been agreed upon that they would pretend to leave, then double back to help. It would make them feel at least a little better... Then Quatre realized that he'd have to be leaving Cecilia... It stung his heart and soul to think that he may never see her again, all depending on the outcome of the horrible war.  
"I've got a carrier at the North Gate!" It was Abdul. They'd better get going. A nod from Duo and off they went, taking off, heedless of the massacre below. Explosions lit the sky as Quatre made his decision.  
"Let's double back now, Duo," he said.  
"Right, let's do it," was the reply. The shuttle was turned, and Deathscythe and Sandrock dropped out. At Duo's suggestion, Quatre had aimed the shuttle so that, when it crashed, it would take out at least some of the enemy Mobile Suits they'd be fighting. Slicing through yet another suit, Rasid came over the communicator.   
"Master Quatre! What are you doing? You two are supposed to be getting out of here safely!"  
"I know Rasid, but there are too many people I care about here, I can't just leave. We owe you too much," Quatre said, almost wincing as he thought of Cecilia's sweet smile and gentle touch. Rasid was silent and they both went back to winning the fight at hand. Suddenly, Sandrock notified Quatre of a lone person, standing in the middle of the desert. Making sure no enemy suits were around or approaching quickly, Quatre moved Sandrock closer to get a view of who it was. His screen showed the person's face, and his own went white with fear. "Ce- Cecilia!" he gasped. She ran toward his suit, hair and simple white dress flowing behind her in the wind.   
"Quatre!" she called out. "Quatre!"  
"Why is she here?!" Quatre asked himself in desparation. Out loud, "Cecilia! Why aren't you taking refuge with everyone else?!" Her eyes shone.  
"They said that you'd come back!" she said. "I was so happy... I had to find you! I can help you! The Maganacs can take care of this battle now, let's go, and..." The shrieking wind mingled with that of his love as the beam was fired. He had been too preoccupied to notice the suit coming, and now it was too late. The stars shone down on destruction, death, desolation, victory, and defeat. But had he won the battle? His heart told him otherwise.

**

"Thanks again," Duo said. Now they'd leave for good. Boarding the shuttle slowly, Quatre fought back tears. As soon as they were airborne, he turned his attention to his objective: destroy OZ.  
"See you again, Maganac Corps.," he said as they flew away. He knew he would.

*************

The sun had set, the moon had risen. How long had he stood and remembered? His missions were a thing of the past, now that peace stood. A lone tear slid down his cheek, and fell on the item he held. Placing the single white rose on the gravestone, he turned and disappeared into the night, while the stars and moon shone down on the price of victory.

_In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing..._

*************

Desert Rose  
Fin

*************


End file.
